


The Fool's Magician

by BostonianJake



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Morgana is a Softie, No Plot/Plotless, One-Shots, Persona 5 Made Me a Cat Person, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-12 01:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BostonianJake/pseuds/BostonianJake
Summary: Ren Amamiya lives in an attic above a hidden gem known as Cafe Leblanc. His roommate is a talking cat who insists he's human. Sounds like Japan's strangest sitcom, but it's just an average day for the leader of The Phantom Thieves.(A collection of one-shots revolving around Ren and Morgana's friendship.)





	The Fool's Magician

The short, bipedal creature snarled and hissed as it emerged from the throbbing, pulsating substance within the depths of Mementos. It put its two paws against its roundish head, struggling to stand as the black goop beneath its feet receded into the floor. As the creature gained its balance, it turned to face whatever was behind it with one final snarl, bright yellow eyes illuminating the surrounding darkness.

Morgana woke with a fearful gasp, his small heart beating a mile a minute. As the cat became more lucid and aware of his surroundings, the dreary cavern occupying his nightmare quickly turned into the spacious and rustic attic resting above Cafe Leblanc.

Slightly trembling, he sat up on the bed as the images from his dream remained fresh in his mind. The glowing pair of eyes sent chills down the cat’s spine as he drew some unsettling conclusions.

“That black thing was… me?” he whispered, ignoring the subtle quiver in his own voice. “That— that can’t be true, I’m supposed to be human!”

Morgana solemnly looked towards the floor, his ears slightly drooping. “I should be…”

As much as the cat wanted to deny what he saw, there was no doubt the monster he saw in his dream was, in fact, his bipedal, mascot-esque form he transformed into whenever he ventured into the Metaverse. From the sleek black fur to the whiskerless white muzzle, it was almost as if he was staring at his own reflection. It even wore his signature yellow bandana and utility belt. If not for the menacing yellow eyes, no one would be able to tell the difference.

Was it his Shadow? Did his desire to turn human become warped to the point of him having a Shadow wander Mementos? But that shouldn’t be possible; he still felt Zorro residing within his heart. After all, to put it rather simply, a Persona is a person's Shadow that has been tamed and controlled. Since a Persona user is able to wield such power and influence over their inner desires, the mere thought of, say, Yusuke forming a Palace or having his Shadow wallowing within Mementos was absolutely ludicrous.

The mere thought it should be absolutely ridiculous, something Morgana would scoff at and would call Ryuji an idiot for simply thinking of such a possibility. However, as much as he tried to rationalize his dream, he couldn’t stop his chest from tightening. “If we get rid of the distortion in the depths of Mementos, I’m sure— I’m sure it’ll all be fine!”

Despite his words, doubt nestled uncomfortably within Morgana’s gut. It sat there as he felt a subtle ache tugging at his chest.

He wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way. It’s just as he said, it should all be fine. If all goes according to his masterful plan, Morgana will take back his memories and reclaim his original body once he purges the core of Mementos. After all, it’s the reason why he formed The Phantom Thieves in the first place. While his motives for thievery were definitely a bit selfish, it gave him a sense of purpose and an incentive to grow stronger.

But what if in the end, all of his efforts were for nothing? If he truly wasn’t human, what is he?

As Morgana continued to stare at the slightly uneven panels in the floor, the sudden shifting of blankets and a drowsy groan grabbed his attention. Looking towards the source of the groan, Morgana’s ears drooped even further when he met the slowly opening eyes of his caretaker, Ren Amamiya.

“Sorry,” the cat apologized. “Did I wake you up?”

The black haired teenager smiled and shook his head, assuring he didn’t mind. “Something wrong?” he asked while stifling a yawn.

Morgana’s eyes widened. He clearly wasn’t expecting Ren to get right to the point, and to be honest, wasn’t in the mood to divulge. His pride and ego, as fragile as it can sometimes be, simply wouldn’t allow Morgana to pour his heart out.

“Oh, uhh… M— My sunburn was hurting, and that woke me up. I was absorbing all the sunlight because I’m black. Don’t you get it?”

The cat inwardly cringed at how transparent his lie was. And judging by the subtle narrowing of Ren’s eyes, he wasn’t buying it either. Even outside the Metaverse, Joker’s observational skills were unlike any Morgana has ever seen.

The cat swallowed as he mentally prepared himself for Ren’s inevitable response, his tail swishing nervously.

In one swift motion, the teenager sat up, looking downwards at the cat. “Mona,” he began while beginning to scratch behind the cat’s ears. “Are you okay?”  
The question itself was enough to crumble what little was left of his bravado, and Ren’s gentle, almost brotherly tone made Morgana noticeably flinch underneath the teenager’s affectionate hand. Worried that he actually did aggravate his sunburn, the ravenette quickly pulled back his hand, immediately looking apologetic. “Sh— shit! Mona, I’m so sorry! Did I just hurt you?”

The cat shook his little head. “No, it’s okay. I just, um…” Morgana began, ears going flat against his head. “I didn’t really expect you to give such an… honestly concerned response like that…”

The slight tremble in the cat’s voice did not go unnoticed, and his slight confession tugged at Ren’s heart. Though he never said it aloud, he considered the cat to be one of his best friends. Hell, he sometimes saw him as his unofficial younger brother. Why wouldn’t he be concerned for someone he genuinely cared about?

Before the teen could follow up, the slight concern that had already settled within his gut surged when he thought he saw Morgana’s bright blue eyes glisten with tears.  
Ren blinked, failing to hide his utter surprise. “Are you…?”

The cat cocked his head in confusion. However, after blinking once, he realized the moisture building up in his eyes. Swallowing the developing lump in his throat, Morgana quickly wiped away his tears before the floodgates overflowed.

“I’m fine. It’s just…” There was a slightly uncomfortable pause. “… some dust getting in my eye. You should probably call Kawakami sooner or later. This place gets filthy pretty quickly, after all,” he observed, turning to Ren with a forced grin.

It was another lie Ren didn’t buy, especially since his homeroom teacher had already come by to straighten out the place yesterday while the cat had gone for his occasional evening strolls. Leblanc’s attic was as clean as it can get.

Something obviously wasn’t right. Morgana never cried, or at the very least would never let anyone, much less the leader of The Phantom Thieves, see him in such a state. If what Ren was witnessing wasn’t just the moonlight playing tricks on him while he was still half asleep, something other than an irritated sunburn was bugging the cat.

Before Ren could press on, Morgana changed the subject. “By the way, it’s not like I’m bothered by this or anything…” Though he didn’t say anything, the ravenette knew he was about to unearth the source of the feline’s distress. “But hypothetically speaking, okay? What would you do if I turned out to be some weird… thing?”

With a kind smile, Ren answered without hesitation. “It wouldn’t bother me.”

Apparently, that answer didn’t sit well with the cat. “I’d be bothered by it!”

Even though he was witnessing Morgana at his most vulnerable, Ren couldn’t help but repress a few chuckles at his defensiveness. “I thought you were asking for my opinion,” he quipped.

However, it was as if Ren’s remark had fallen on deaf cat ears, as Mona did not have one of his usual snarky responses at the ready. Instead, he stayed silent and solemn. Concern growing, the ravenette continued to watch as Morgana started to unload more of his emotional baggage.

“If— If what I saw from earlier is true, is it okay for me to stay with the Phantom Thieves?”

Though the cat was very ambiguous with the details of his returned memories, Ren knew whatever he ended up remembering had greatly unsettled him. After all, the deal they formed was all about getting his memories back. For him to say he tried to forget… Ren kinda wished he said more than a simple “Just be confident!” during that evening.

“And even if I’m with the team, I’m useless at the moment…”

Ren’s first instinct was to immediately refute that statement. A simple “That’s not true!” or “You’re invaluable to the team!” would have sufficed. However, he couldn’t deny the amazing prowess of their newest Phantom Thief. In terms of support and overall navigational skills, Futaba Sakura was superior. Not to mention Ren had a sneaking suspicion Morgana would simply tune him out.

Carefully planning out his words, the ravenette gently scratched behind Mona’s ears and spoke. “Futaba can’t replace you, Mona. It doesn’t matter how good her navigation abilities are. You’re you, and that’s enough qualification to stay with the Phantom Thieves.” The firm, unwavering confidence in his voice reinforced his kind and gentle tone; Ren truly meant every word.

Blinking away gathering tears, Morgana genuinely smiled for the first time that night. Though his nightmare had still troubled him, a large weight had been carried off his shoulders. “It’s nothing. But… thanks for what you said. I think I needed that.” It was yet another lie. However, the ravenette was willing to let this one slide. “Well, I’ve gotten pretty used to my life as a cat too. And to be frank, this storage room isn’t bad either.”

The ravenette let out a short, quiet fit of laughter. “It grows on you, yeah?”

The cat nodded in agreement. “I suppose. Then again, I can’t wait to turn back to being a human so I can move out.” The teenager smiled when Mona suppressed a few laughs.

“Maybe I’ll live a life of luxury in a suite on the highest floor with Lady Ann by my side…” The cat sighed dreamily. However, despite being in higher spirits than earlier, his longing yet happy expression quickly fell as he looked towards the bed in contemplation. “But rather than becoming some weird thing, maybe staying as a cat isn’t so bad either…”

Morgana turned to his caretaker with an almost pleading look in his eyes. “You and I made a deal, yeah?” The uncertainty woven into his voice was definitely worrying. “That means I can stay here… Isn’t that right?”

Ren wasted no time responding. “Of course.”

“Thought so,” Mona said. Though his down expression remained unchanged, the teen could detect the slightest bit of relief in the cat’s voice. “Don’t forget what I just said, okay?”

“I promise.”

Morgana’s ears lifted as he managed a smile. “Thank you, Joker.”

Stretching out his spine, the feline let out a yawn. “C’mon, let’s hurry up and get to sleep.”

Ren nodded in agreement, eager to hit the hay as well. “Sounds good. Goodnight, Morgana.”

As the ravenette’s head fell on his singular pillow, the feline got into his own comfortable position on the bed. “Night.”

It never took long for the teenager to fall back asleep. Though Morgana never said anything out of politeness, Ren had a peculiar way of snoring. It was a distinct sound. To him, it sounded similar to his own purring, yet much quieter. The moment the cat heard that soft rumbling fill the attic, he knew his caretaker was knocked out.

Even though he felt slightly guilty for waking him up, he was happy he heard those words of encouragement. However, as Mona watched Ren’s slow, rhythmic breathing, he couldn’t stop the weight from reappearing in his chest as images from his nightmare replayed in his head. Those monstrous snarls and menacing yellow eyes still sent tremors down the cat’s body, and the ghastly cavern within Mementos was several degrees colder than Leblanc’s attic.

With nobody watching, Morgana finally allowed a few tears to hit the bed. “It’ll be fine… right?”

Ren’s sleeping form didn’t provide an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, it's canon divergence time! I swear not every drabble's gonna be "touchy-feely" though there will be a few more of those. Mona deserves a hug, dammit.
> 
> It's been ages since I've actually written something like this to completion (I've been focusing on screenwriting and creating television pilots. That kind of jazz), and I'm really out of practice on this specific style of writing. This chapter is unedited so please leave some critiques in the comments below. Let me know if I portrayed Mona well or tell me if I'm being too "extravagant" with my words. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you people enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> [Updated 06/03/2019]
> 
> Special thanks to firedrakegirl for editing this chapter! To say her work was invaluable would be an understatement.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed reading!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jake


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